Archaeological dig begins at 1410 Grunwald battle site
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
15.09.2014 12:06
Archaeologists from Poland, Denmark, Norway, Great Britain and Lithuania have embarked on a major research project in the village of Grunwald, northern Poland, at the site of one of the greatest battles of medieval Europe.
Axw found at Grunwald Battle site: photo: photo - PAP / Tomasz Waszczuk
The site extends over an area of 500 hectares and is comprised of farms, two lakes and remnants of an old settlement.
Team leader, Professor Piotr Nowakowski of the University of Łódź, has told the Polish Press Agency that these are not classical archaeological excavations with the use of spades alone.
“We shall be using metal detectors, ground penetrating radars, scanners as well as, most probably, drones,” he said.
The core of the 50-strong team is made up of members of the Danish ‘Harja’ Association, who have spent a year studying the literature relating to the battle and maps of the terrain.
“We hope to find many artefacts connected with the Battle of Grunwald,” Harja’s President Glenn Arramsson says.
Around 200 human skeletons were discovered by archaeologists at Grunwald in the 1960s.
This year an amateur archaeologist found an iron hatchet at the site, dating from the 14th or 15th century.
The Battle of Grunwald was fought on 15 July 1410 and saw Polish and Lithuanian forces, led by Polish King Wladysław Jagiełło, defeat the German Teutonic Order.
Every year knights in shining armour from many European countries gather at Grunwald to take part in a re-enactment of the historic battle. (mk/pg)